1 Bold Lineup Choice The New York Knicks Likely Will Make

Evan Fournier, New York Knicks, NBA Rumors
NBA Analysis Network

The New York Knicks are only one practice into NBA training camp and there are already some fans groaning about head coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau’s stubbornness when it comes to the team’s rotation has drawn the ire of some, as he rides with veterans instead of giving younger players opportunities on the court.

That is a philosophy that contradicts how the roster is built, as New York has a lot of young talent on the roster. RJ Barrett is locked into a big-minute starting role and a lot of people would love to see the same for Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin.

Out of the two, it would seem that Grimes had the best chance at locking down a starting spot. As long as Julius Randle is on the roster he will be entrenched as the starting power forward. Unless Thibodeau has a change of heart about playing them together, Toppin could once again struggle to find minutes.

Grimes, in some fans’ eyes, had a much easier path to starting. He quickly showcased his 3-and-D talents when called upon as a rookie last season. Grimes knocked down 38.1 percent of his 3-point attempts and quickly cemented himself as one of the team’s best perimeter defenders.

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With Jalen Brunson taking over as the team’s starting point guard, having a strong defender in the backcourt alongside him makes sense. Grimes has prototypical shooting guard size, standing 6’5” with a nearly 6’8” wingspan. When combined with Barrett, the Knicks would have plenty of length on the wing.

However, the starting shooting guard spot looks like it will be going to Evan Fournier again. Thibodeau was asked about his plans for the starting lineup and to the chagrin of many people, he said that Fournier is the front-runner to start heading into training camp.

It should come as no surprise that Fournier is the leader in the clubhouse as he started all 80 games that he played last season. For all of the flack that he received, he did set the franchise record for 3-pointers in a season, knocking down 241. He does leave something to be desired defensively, which is why many people would like to see Grimes as the starting shooting guard.

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If Thibodeau doesn’t want to lose out on the size that Fournier provides, he could opt to start someone such as Cam Reddish, who has prototypical two-way wing measurables. Adding more of a defensive presence alongside Brunson to take some pressure off of Barrett on that end of the court would make sense.

There is still plenty of time for things to change, but for now, it sounds like the Knicks’ starting lineup will be the same outside of Brunson stepping into the point guard spot.

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